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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629183">Reflections</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkcandies/pseuds/pinkcandies'>pinkcandies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coffee Shops, Coffee date, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, I love these lesbians so much, Love, Slice of Life, Someone gets hurt, WTF am I reading, Wishes, Witches, bald!madoka, fight with a witch, started out as a joke fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:00:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,415</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkcandies/pseuds/pinkcandies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A few months after Mami's death, Madoka is still having to deal with Kyubey. She resists and ignores it most of the time, but when something happens in the middle of a battle, she starts to think of signing the contract.</p><p>(also Homura is so unbelievably gay it hurts)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akemi Homura/Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka/Sakura Kyouko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Reflections</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this fic is set in the timeline of the series but madoka remembers the first timeline somehow but doesn't remember all the others where homura has been trying to save her?? this is after mami dies so it's like the middle of the series but not really its after kyoko and sayaka meet and sayaka used her wish to save kyousuke or whatever but she's not dead and also like a few months have passed since mami's death and they're all friends and madoka is having a crisis on what to use her wish on since she knows that homura has to keep protecting her and like whatever i don't know anyways let's go i promise its better than this note makes it seem</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You didn’t have to do that, you know?” said Homura, looking down at the passing cars. “Do what?” Madoka asked, “Help me, befriend me, any of that” she turned away from the edge of the balcony “How could i not? You looked so afraid and lost”. Madoka turned her head towards the sky too, thinking. “If.. if you hadn’t been nice to me..” “We wouldn’t be here. You would’ve been taken by the Law of the Cycle and I wouldn’t have even noticed.” her expression softened into a sad smile, “You wouldn’t have had to suffer so much. I was just selfish.” Madoka raised her hand to Homura’s cheek and held it there, “It doesn’t matter Homura-chan, I don’t remember any of that.” she looked into her eyes and smiled “All that matters is that right now, in this moment, we’re together”.</p><p>-</p><p>The winter cold kept her under the blankets for longer than usual, but Kyubey’s paw on her face definitely woke her up. “Good morning!” Madoka said, ruffling its hair. “Have you decided on a wish yet?” it asked her. “Not yet! But i know what i want for breakfast!” she jumped out of bed startling the cat-like creature. She had trouble untangling her pink hair, but eventually put it up into her usual pigtails, using the ribbons Homura always liked, her favourites. “Madoka! You’re going to be late!” her mom called from downstairs, and she finally hurried down. Grabbing a toast on the way out of the door, she gave her family a smile and headed to school.</p><p>Homura braided her hair absentmindedly, waiting for her best friend as she did so. Her hands weren’t as precise as Madoka’s, and strands of hair kept falling out, but she still tried her best. “Homura!” she heard a voice come from behind her, but before she could react a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her. Madoka giggled softly and sat down next to her, taking her hand in the process. “Madoka! You’re late again!” Homura exclaimed, she tried to be mad but all she could muster was a half-hearted frown, “Then let’s go!” Madoka grabbed her hand and dragged her off the bench, almost making her trip. They laughed together as they walked through the schoolyard and into the building, meeting up with Sayaka and Kyoko on the way. These few happy and relaxing moments were sometimes enough to make Homura forget about her mission, she just enjoyed any time she had with Madoka, before she eventually would have to rewind time once again if she failed.</p><p>-</p><p>“Do you guys want to go grab some ice cream?” asked Kyoko, pushing to the front of the group, “In the middle of winter? Are you crazy?” Sayaka playfully knocked her elbow into Kyoko’s side and took her hands in hers “You’re already freezing!” she squeezed her hands tighter and rubbed them together, trying to warm her up. “We could go get some cake from Mam-” as Kyoko realized what she was about to say, she froze and her hands slipped out from Sayaka’s “I-it’s okay! We can get cake from a coffee shop! Don’t worry!” Madoka chimed in, trying to deflect. The group’s happy mood was gone, remembering a death that could’ve been so easily avoided had they all just worked together. They walked to the coffee shop in awkward silence, holding each other close as if not to lose someone else.</p><p>-</p><p>“I’ll have a strawberry milkshake” “A MILKSHAKE?” Sayaka and Kyoko both blurted out, “I never would’ve expected you of all people to be the one to get a milkshake! If i had to guess i’d think Madoka!” Homura looked at both of them and smiled shyly, “I just like sweet drinks…” Madoka reached her hand out and took Homura’s. “Of course she likes sweet stuff! Just look at her!” She closed her eyes and smiled, Kyoko took the opportunity to blow a straw wrapper at her. “Hey!”.</p><p>  The cake was good, and the drinks too, they had had a nice time, moments like these where they weren’t fighting or mourning but just having fun, were hard to come by, and they treasured every second.</p><p>-</p><p>Nothing good ever lasts. No moment of peace can last forever without being interrupted. </p><p>Coming out of the coffee shop they found themselves trapped in a labyrinth, shapes and colours floated all around them, the sound of trimmers and scissors filled the air and overwhelmed them. “You two protect Madoka, I'll take care of the witch.” Homura took out her shield and her gun, jumping into the middle of the labyrinth to find the witch responsible. “Homura please! You don’t have to do everything alone!” Sayaka pleaded, following her in. Madoka never knew how to handle these situations, she couldn’t bear to see Homura and the others getting hurt, so she always waited in fear, hoping they could win. “Madoka! You have to go save them!” there was the voice. The little white Incubator, always with her in moments like this. “Madoka, just make a wish and save them! It’s-” It stopped mid sentence, a bullet lodged in its head. Madoka never could get used to Homura doing that, even though she knew it was for her own good.</p><p>Madoka looked up and saw Homura fighting, fighting for her, fighting to save her, fighting to protect her. “Watch out!” Kyoko pushed her to the side, she hadn’t been paying attention. A pair of scissors now stuck out of Kyoko’s arm, if it hadn’t been for her, Madoka would have her head split open. “No.. NO!” Sayaka rushed back to them and held Kyoko in her arms, the wound wasn’t deep but it was enough to hurt. Madoka backed away, the realization setting in. If she hadn’t been so careless Kyoko wouldn’t have gotten hurt, if she had just signed the contract with Kyube- She found herself clutching her chest. The witch hadn’t stopped yet, and was apparently targeting Madoka, maybe it felt her power, or her potential or… something. That didn’t matter now. Madoka was bleeding out. </p><p>-<br/>
“Madoka… Please be okay… please..” She heard Homura’s voice come through the darkness, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, and soft hands clutching her body. “Sayaka! You said this would work!” Homura yelled, “I don’t know! I don’t know how my powers work! She’s breathing isn’t she?” “It… Yes.. Thank you..” Homura’s voice sounded so defeated, why did she even bother protecting Madoka if she kept getting hurt? “Madoka please… I can’t lose you again.. Not like this.” </p><p>Madoka felt tears drip onto her face, “I-I’m alright Homura-chan… Please don’t cry..” she tried to sit up and smile but pain shot through her body, making her wince. “Madoka… You’re okay!” Homura’s face softened and she breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be okay.</p><p>Madoka’s wound healed in no time at all, they were only halfway to the hospital before she woke up and realized the pain was gone. Sayaka’s powers had worked on her too. “Homura… Sayaka… thank you..” she turned towards Kyoko and took her hands, “I’m so sorry, i-it’s my fault you got hurt. If i had just been paying more attention to the fight or made my wish earl-” Kyoko interrupted with a laugh, “Are you crazy? I’m supposed to be the one protecting you! I should’ve seen those scissors coming from a mile away!” , she locked arms with Sayaka and grinned, “Plus, if i had died, Sayaka here would be so mad she’d bring me back from the dead just to kill me again!” Sayaka elbowed her side and blushed, “Y-yeah..”</p><p>-</p><p>They were almost at her house when Homura broke down crying, tears were spilling onto her uniform and her face shimmered under the streetlight, “Homura-chan! What’s wrong? Please don’t cry! I’m okay!” Madoka wrapped her hand around her shoulder and wiped the tears off her face, “You could’ve died Madoka! And it would’ve been my fault!” she pressed her face into Madoka’s chest, “It would’ve all been my fault….” Homura’s sobs filled the night around them, Madoka tried stroking her hair to calm her down, but it just made it worse. </p><p>“Homura you know… At that moment… I finally thought of a wish…” Homura stopped and raised her head, looking at her directly “No. You can never give it that.” she said. “I-I know that! But I thought… maybe it would be best if i wished to have never existed… Then..” she turned away from Homura, almost embarrassed , “Then you wouldn’t have to do this.. You wouldn’t have to worry…” Madoka smiled “You would have your own life…” </p><p>Homura held her in front of her, her eyes wide with fear “Madoka, even if you did that. Even if you made me forget, I would find a way back to you. I could never let you go.” she brushed a strand of her hair away “I would remember, i would get you back, i would do everything in my power to just get a glimpse of your face again. I would do it all for you.”</p><p>Parting ways that night was difficult, but they managed. With tears and hugs at every step they made it to Madoka’s house and said goodbye. They could never stay apart for long, and leaving each other was always hard, but they knew that they would see each other again soon.</p><p>-</p><p>Madoka didn’t go to school the next day. The events from the last day were replaying in her mind, but that wasn’t the only reason. She had woken up to a cold morning again, but this time her head felt even colder. As she went into the bathroom, the reflection in the mirror stared back at her. She no longer had any hair, her scalp was completely free of any sign of her signature pink. Her eyes welled up with tears, she didn’t know why or how this had happened but she knew she could never show her face around Homura again, but that wouldn’t last.</p><p>Just a few minutes later, Homura was at her window. She saw Madoka wrapped up in her covers and an Incubator sitting right there next to her. “Madoka!” she yelled as she broke through the bedroom window, she stopped time for a second to clean all the shards up, to make sure Madoka wouldn’t get hurt. “Madoka don’t listen to that thing.” she glared at the Incubator and grabbed it by the tail, flinging it out of the open window. “Madoka.. are you okay?” she got closer to the mass of blankets, sitting down on the bed. “Homura-chan… please leave… I have to do this” her voice was muffled, quiet, wanting to be left alone. </p><p>Homura came closer and lifted the blanket, but Madoka quickly took it back. “Please Homura… You can’t see this.. You’ll hate me…” she held the blanket closer to her, trying to hide as much of her head as possible. “Madoka, you know i could never hate you.” she tried lifting the blanket up again, “I’m worried about you.” This time, Madoka let her, and her bald head came out from under it, reflecting the light from the window. “I.. i know you probably hate me right now… And.. I know what my wish is.” her voice was so low it was almost a whisper, she looked up at Homura and you could tell she’d been crying. “M-madoka, what happened to your hair?” Homura’s hand hovered above her head, hesitating. Madoka’s face dropped, “I knew it… You’ll never want to be my friend again…” she sobbed and tried to cover herself with the blanket again, but Homura stopped her.</p><p>“Madoka. There is nothing in this world that could make me stop caring about you.” She took her hands into hers and gently put them on her lap, “Now please, tell me what you mean. You can’t let Kyubey trick you into wishing.” Madoka looked up at her and then at the broken window, the one where Homura threw the Incubator. “I… I wanted to wish for my hair back… Just so you would like me again.” she reached for the discarded red ribbons on her bed, “I.. I can’t wear these anymore and… They’re your favourites and… I can’t wear them anymore..” she clutched them in her fist, and looked down in disappointment. Homura couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and a small chuckle escaped her lips “M-Madoka… Do you really think that i only like you because of your ribbons?” a smile was forming on her face, struggling to hold in a laugh “Yeah? You told me they looked good on me and… That’s really the only good thing about me…”</p><p>Homura started softly laughing, and she hugged Madoka. “If i only cared about your ribbons, do you think i would go through hundreds, thousands of timelines just to save you?” she took her hand in hers and looked her in the eyes, “Do you think i would try everything in my power to save you, to protect you? Madoka… I care about so much more than your ribbons. I care about your smile, your laugh, your happiness. Everything I do, I do for you. I strive to save and protect not just you, but also everything that makes you happy. If i had one more wish to ask of that little Incubator, I would want it to be for you.” she looked down at their hands, intertwined like their destinies, and smiled “I want you to have the best life, with or without me Madoka. I love you so much, and even if you don’t feel the same i’ll still do my best to keep you safe. So please, never think that i only care about stupid things like your hair, or your ribbons, those can be replaced, i care about you. You in your entirety. Every single thing you come into contact with is bathed in so much love and care and light that its irreplaceable, and I have to protect that. I have to protect you.” She took the ribbons out of Madoka’s hand, and tied them around her wrist. She looked beautiful in the morning sun. </p><p>“Homura… I…” before she could say anything else, Homura hugged her tighter than she ever had before, all of her doubts and troubles melted away, and all Madoka could think about was how lucky she was, to have someone as wonderful as Homura be there with her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i bet u forgot this was a bald madoka fic huh... :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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